And Add Lightness

Colorado Springs Police Officer Hits Pedestrian

I’ve mentioned before that I think very little of first responders: police, firefighter, and ambulance drivers. This is a group of highly-entitled people particularly convinced of their own superiority, and full-on believers of their own press. They think they’re heroes simply by the nature of their jobs. The incompetence is maddening and mostly pervasive.

Since the law dictates the mortals get out of their way when they’re on the road, they have no driving ability. Just yesterday, I watched an ambulance driver essentially bully his way through an intersection. And then I came home to find this story in the Colorado Springs Gazette: Woman hit by police cruiser while crossing downtown Colorado Springs street.

Way. To. Go.

The reason this sort of thing infuriates me isn’t a product of an attitude against authority. These people should be held to a higher standard. I should be able to look to the members of the police or fire departments and think they’re professionals. But they’re not. And it’s this attitude despising incompetence that causes me to have such a low opinion of first responders.

I understand accidents happen. But I’m paying attention. I’ve seen ambulance drivers cut off people and do utterly stupid things on the road. I’ve been one of the ones cut off by an AMR driver who doesn’t understand how to drive. I’m paying attention on the roads, and I’ve seen many idiotic and dangerous acts of stupidity by people sporting “fire fighter” plates. It’s obvious they’re incompetent.

They’re certainly setting examples, but they don’t seem to know or care that it’s not the one they think they’re setting.